Football Returns Home To Celebrate Senior Day Against SMUThe University of Cincinnati football team plays its first game at home in nearly a month, taking on American Athletic Conference foe Saturday at noon from Nippert Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN Regional and air on WKRC Local 12 in Cincinnati and on 700 WLW, Sirius 132 and XM 197. UC will recognize its 17-member senior class during a pregame ceremony.

SCOUTING SMUSMU lead the American in passing offense (380.7 ypg) and ranks second in total offense (489.0). QB Garrett Gilbert leads the league in passing (376.3) and total offense (408.3). WR Darius Joseph is tied for the lead in receptions per game (9.1) and Jeremy Johnson, Keenan Holman and Joseph rank 2-3-4 in receiving yards per game with 107.4, 95.0 and 80.1 ypg, respectively.

THE SERIESSaturday marks the first meeting between the two institutions.

THE COACHESTommy Tuberville, a 17-year head coaching veteran was named the 41st football head coach at the University of Cincinnati on Dec. 8, 2012. Widely regarded as one of the top coaches and recruiters in the collegiate game, comes to Cincinnati after three years at Texas Tech. Tuberville holds a 136-79 career record with head coaching stops at Texas Tech, Auburn and Ole Miss.

JUNE JONES is in his sixth season at the helm of SMU with a 34-38 record and a career mark of 110-79. Jones led SMU to back-to-back Conference USA Western Division Co-Championships in 2009 and 2010, and has led the Mustangs to four straight bowl berths. He has previous head coach experience at Hawai’i and in the NFL with Atlanta and San Diego.

STREAKS, STORYLINES, SIDEBARS

The University of Cincinnati football team is playing its 126th season in 2013. The Bearcats’ program dates to 1885 and is one of the 10 oldest in major college football.

UC won four of the final five BIG EAST Championships and has played in a bowl game in six of the past seven seasons and two straight years.

UC has won 62 games (62-22) since the 2007 season, most among current American Athletic Conference teams.

UC is the only school in the country among the BCS AQ Conferences (American, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) to win four conference titles in the last five years.

UC is one of only four NCAA FBS AQ programs to have won 10 games in five of the past six seasons, joining Alabama, Oklahoma and Oregon.

Nippert Stadium now features a new UBU Sports’ Speed Series S5-M synthetic turf system, the same product used at Paul Brown Stadium, Nippert will undergo an $86-million renovation and expansion starting in Dec. 2013. UC will play downtown at PBS in 2014.

OL Ben Flick, WR Mark Barr and WR Javon Harrison were involved in a car accident on Sept. 21, 2013. Tragically, Flick lost his life and Barr was seriously injured, was released from UC Medical Center and remains hospitalized at a local rehabilitation facility. Harrison was treated and released.

QB Munchie Legaux suffered a knee injury against Illinois, had surgery on Sept. 13 and will miss the rest of the year.

With the win over Memphis, UC is bowl eligible for the third straight season and seventh time in the past eight years. The Bearcats, who have played in two Bowl Championship Series games, are 8-6 all time in postseason games.

The Bearcats are No. 4 nationally in total defense (280.0).

UC’s defense shut out Temple in the second half on Oct. 11 and has allowed three second-half offensive TD in six games.